Our dog, Sophie, suffers from systemic yeast and is allergic to everything under the sun. I do not exaggerate here! A friend visited recently and offered her a wee bit of cheese. Before I could say no, Sophie being no fool, inhaled it. The next day her poor eyes puffed up so badly she could barely see out of them! So, last weekend I sent her to the kennel with a bag and strict instructions that she could eat nothing if it wasn’t in the bag. In fact, it was a little sad, really, all my obsessing. I packaged and labeled every item in a ziplock baggie—every meal, every medication had my panicky notes written in permanent marker. The underlying message being: I don’t care how cute she is—don’t you dare give her a treat! I’ll know if you do.
While I’m not one of those dog owners who dresses her pup up in matching clothes (ok, I would be, but she rolls her eyes at me when I try and then I feel foolish!), I have cause to worry about her health. All weekend long I worried. Every dog I saw made me stop and wonder how my over-indulged pooch was fairing. The yeast is being treated, but we’re a long way from being cured. And the last thing I needed was for Sophie to have a set-back in the kennel because someone gave her a tabu food. It’s bad enough that she tears her skin to pieces when she’s anxious!
Turns out, I needn’t have worried. Hammond Kennels is more like a Puppy Spa! She got lots of attention and had her own little space. I suspect she spent the whole time we were away barking and running, because she was exhausted when she came home. Sophie got quite accustomed to having the equivalency of a doggie door—she roamed at will. Four days of spa vacation and she’s a bit spoiled. Which means that she’s spent the past few days at home doing this delightful little dance and howling routine whenever she feels the urge to go outside and play. At first, I thought it was a potty run, so I indulged it—only to discover that in reality, she just wanted outside. You know, to sniff grass and chomp at flying bugs and then to curl up in her enormous bed on our tangy porch.
If she can’t talk me into letting her outside, she immediately moves on to other targets who usually relent. Lord help us when she gets to spend 12 days at her spa in September. There will be no living with her then.
Oh my GOD she is cute.
I approve of over-indulging dogs. And cats. Even guinea pigs, gerbils, and hamsters. Oh, and pet rats.
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Quite the menagerie you have there, Miz S. ! 😀 ~W
I always vote yes for spa treatment.
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Me too!! ~W
I would overindulge any creature as gorgeous as Sophie. I am kind of obsessive myself.
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She’s hard not to spoil. ~W
Oh dear…nothing like a “fancy” pet…my cat is lactose intolerant (it’s not a pretty thing is it?) But, aren’t they worth all the extra trouble??
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Yeah, Sophie is “special”… but we love her despite the difficulty. ~W
oh how cute! Glad she is feeling better and had a chance to enjoy the “spa” 🙂
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I suspect she had a very good time! Thanks. 😀 ~W
Ya know, if you have a pet and can’t spoil it, what’s the point? I used to dress Keesha and paint her nails hot pink. TJ would get so mad because “you don’t paint a pit bull’s nails pink!”. Well, you do if she’s a pretty princess! And I think you’re just being a responsible mom by labeling everything. Who wants to come home from vaca to take your baby to the vet??!! URGH.
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Oh my, what an image: a pit-bull with pink nail polish! ~W
What a sweet girl! Let me tell ya, I work at a vet where we also do boarding and we LONG for owners to write out everything as specifically as you did! SO much better than owners who dump their pet’s rx’s out on the counter and say “she gets the yellow one twice a day, but she hasn’t had it since last week”….sigh. That kennel sounds fabulous! Where is it located?
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It’s in Hammond, Or. And they seem to be really good at what they do. I never thought about the slacker owners, in part, because I can’t imagine doing that! ~W
Our dogs LOVE to go to the vet and to the kennel (we’re A-listers [haha] at our vet, so we’re on their secret kennel list). We just say our vet’s name and the girls start hopping with joy (kinda like a low-rider bouncing). When we travel I pack the along the guilt, even though I KNOW they are having the time of their lives. Anyhoo… we mark everything, even their blankies and toys, and especially their food (Libby has her special food and allergy meds too). Totally not obsessive and I know the staff appreciates it. Your Sophie is a lucky dog to have such a caring momma!
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Oh, so you know the drill. I just hate leaving her and thinking a well-intentioned soul is actually poisoning her. However, it all seemed to work out. Sophie is a big fan of the car—so going anywhere is a thrill. ~W
Being a pet owner is second to being a grandma, so spoil her all you like!! ^_^
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Heh, you should hear my son scold me for being too nice to the dog, “You know, Mom, she’s never going to respect you if you talk to her like that!” Oof. ~W
OK, next time you HAVE to come with me to pick her up. She’s too cute as she tells her stories recounting the fun she had while we were away…
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I bet she had stories to tell. ~W
I need that spa for my moping Shepard. She needs pampering.
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Oh, I’m so sad by your news. I’m running along soon to comment on your site! ~W
That is the cutest dog ever! I think she should model for me (to paint)…but then again, I can’t imagine her holding still for long.
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Heh, you’ll have to settle for photographs, I’m afraid. 😀 ~W
What a cute dog! But what is it about dogs and allergies? Our dog (who is also named Sophie) has them. Even the tiniest morsel of a taboo food (read “everything”) will have her attempting to tear her paws off later. Poor thing. But of course she’ll break down unbelieveable barriers to eat said food. Sigh. ~A 🙂
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Yeah, our Soph is pretty committed to sugar. Which, she can’t have! She loves cheesecake–bad dog. ~W